Rural Wireless Association officials told an FCC Public Safety Bureau staffer that smaller carriers are reluctant to install open radio access network technology as part of the agency’s rip-and-replace program. “RWA’s carrier members were optimistic about Open RAN’s potential for lower costs, increased security, and network visibility, but expressed reservations toward adopting Open RAN for the Reimbursement Program when none of the three nationwide providers -- AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon -- have adopted,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 21-63: “Absent major carrier adoption (and FCC support for Open RAN via a rulemaking), small and rural carriers cannot afford to expend human and capital resources to learn how to fully integrate Open RAN.” RWA warned carriers will need to shut parts of their Huawei and ZTE-equipped networks during testing. Jerry Tilley, Nemont chief operations officer, and John Nettles, Pine Belt Communications president, were on the call.
OMB OK'd for three years new information collection requirements in the FCC order reallocating the 5.9 GHz band (see 2011180043), says Monday's Federal Register. The requirement is effective Monday.
GCI representatives explained its concerns on drive test parameters (see 2108130071) and a model for the tests for some carriers participating in the Alaska Plan, in a call with an aide to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. It needs "adequate time after the final requirements are released for GCI to conduct drive testing and analyze the results,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 16-271. “Keep the burdens of testing reasonable by not requiring testing in many grid cells that have little or possibly no population," it recommended, seeking "a testing methodology focused on speed, rather than middle mile and last mile technology."
The Coast Guard believes 160.900 MHz, used by railroads, can be safely shared by maritime devices that mark fishing equipment, NTIA said in a letter posted Friday in FCC docket 21-230. The Association of American Railroads had raised concerns (see 2109080043). “With adequate care, it is possible for low power [automatic identification system] devices to operate on 160.9 MHz without causing harmful interference to railroad systems,” the Coast Guard said. “NTIA also understands that the land mobile radios the railroads operate generally have authorization to utilize multiple channels such that, if their mobile operations experience harmful interference on a particular channel, they should be able to continue to communicate on other channels,” the NTIA said.
The FCC 3.45 GHz auction bidding closed the week at $19.17 billion. Bidding picks up again Monday with five rounds.
T-Mobile withdrew its Aug. 25 request for confidential treatment, answering FCC questions on its performance during the nationwide wireless emergency alert test (see 2108260046). The filing, posted Thursday in docket 15-94, includes a revised version of the response “with all confidentiality designations removed.” T-Mobile had redacted some technical information, including the length of time it took to transmit messages and number of times they were rebroadcast.
The FCC Wireless and Public Safety bureaus modified the filing freeze in the 4.9 GHz band. A Sept. 30 commission order instructed the bureaus to partially lift the freeze within 30 days (see 2110010051). It's lifted for applications by incumbent 4.9 GHz licensees to modify existing licenses in the band “whether for permanent fixed sites or geographic areas” and applications by incumbents for “new permanent fixed site operations located within their licensed service areas," Thursday's order said: The freeze remains on applications for new licenses.
Wireless carriers' cellsite text control center and location-based routing parameters could let TCCs route texted messages to the 988 suicide prevention hotline to a centralized 988 center or multiple centers, Intrado representatives told FCC Wireline and Public Safety bureaus' staffers, per a docket 18-336 posting Wednesday. It said that also would let 988 centers route the texts to other destinations. It said that option would support numerous text protocols, not real-time text.
The National Advertising Division upheld some T-Mobile 5G claims Wednesday but had quibbles with others, following up on complaints from Verizon. Better Business Bureau's NAD said T-Mobile’s claim to offer the “‘largest’ 5G network is substantiated and that its ‘5G speeds as fast as Wi-Fi’ claim was supported in the context in which it was presented.” T-Mobile should “discontinue the claim that it has the ‘fastest’ 5G Network or qualify the claim to indicate that T-Mobile’s 5G Network has the fastest average overall, combined 5G Network speeds” and claims that it's “‘the leader in 5G coverage and speed’ should be modified to limit the claim to its advantages in coverage and average, overall combined 5G speeds.” Tuesday, NAD gave similar mixed marks to Verizon, in response to T-Mobile complaints. NAD recommended “challenged claims be modified or discontinued, including those that overstate the benefits of 5G Ultra Wideband (5G UWB) or obscure the differences between Verizon’s wireless offerings and among its service plans.” Verizon didn't comment. “We are pleased that NAD was largely supportive of a majority of our claims,” a T-Mobile spokesperson emailed: “We plan to make minor modifications to our ‘fastest 5G network’ claim and other ads to ensure consumers have an even clearer understanding.”
The Wi-Fi Alliance released an automated frequency coordination compliance test plan Tuesday for the 6 GHz band. The FCC is seeking AFC proposals, due Nov. 30 (see 2109290040). “Wi-Fi Alliance development efforts on this innovative AFC system aim to ensure worldwide adoption, interoperability, security, and reliability expected of Wi-Fi,” the group said.